Microsoft

Tell Us Once (TUO) is the award-winning, cross-government programme that lets people inform central government and local authorities just once of a birth or death. By March 2012 it will be in service in over 95% of councils in England, Scotland and Wales. It has provided a permanent solution to the long-standing and frustrating issue of people having to notify the government multiple times. Several years ago, research showed that people had to make up to 44 contacts when reporting a death to government ......

To quote Scott Hanselman…. Visual Studio 2010 is really extensible and that's allowed many folks on the team to try out new features for Web Development without having to rebuild Visual Studio itself. One of those "playground" extensions is called "Web Essentials" by Mads Kristensen. Mads handles HTML5 and CSS3 tools for our team. You might remember Mads from when we released the Web Standards Update a few months back. Get it here: Scott Nanselman blog ......

To quote Microsoft: Businesses do not need to pay a premium for a world-class CRM solution. Today, you can get a great solution that meets your specific business needs – and save a tremendous amount of money in the process. Until March 31, 2012, Microsoft will send qualified organizations USD $150 for each Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Subscription license. Buy 50 seats, get USD $7,500. Buy 500 seats, get USD $75,000.1 This money could be used any way you like. For example, the money can be used ......

What is BPOS? BPOS is a suite of enterprise-class software that is hosted by Microsoft and delivered as a subscription service. BPOS includes: Exchange Online, including Exchange Hosted Services, which are attached services that encompass the archiving, encryption, continuity and filtering of data SharePoint Online for intranets and document sharing Office Communications Online for real-time communication and presence (instant messaging and related capabilities) Office Live Meeting for interactive ......

Nationwide, the world’s largest building society realised the benefits of Faster Payments with the help of Microsoft Services and interestingly enough a team of BizTalk experts from Solidsoft. For a number of years Solidsoft has provided senior software consultants expert in Microsoft BizTalk server and many other Microsoft products support of Microsoft Service led developments. The Nationwide project has proved no different with Solidsoft providing a team of 6 to support the successful development ......

Sir David Varney headed a review into Transformational Government in 2006 . Among its recommendations was one particular one that had been driven by the amount of contact points a citizen had to make with government for a Change of Life event such as birth and death. It gave one example of where a citizen had to make 44 separate contacts to government departments following the premature death of her husband. At this emotional time, this kind of experience adds an unnecessary burden on the customer ......

An interesting ‘rant’ by my fellow Solidsoft buddy Russell Smith: Thought you chaps would be interested in this after hearing my rantings yesterday about the WCF-SQL adapter and notification issues. I got to the bottom of the issue, it wasn’t the adapter in the end it was the database and not the adapter at all. This was a database supplied by PICT that was restored onto my image. Apparently in order for the notification mechanism to work there are some strict requirements on the database SET options ......

BizTalk Best Practice Analyser is released and available for download. Download: BizTalkBPA V1.2 As always another very handy tool is the Message Box Viewer (Currently V10) which provides some very detailed information as well. Download: Message Box Viewer (MBV) Enjoy your day, Mick. Read the complete post at http://blogs.breezetraining... ......

Maybe it’s time for Microsoft to think forward rather than simply denounce a product such as the iPad. A forward thinking Microsoft would embrace the iPad as an opportunity. Whatever we think the iPad will be big, very big. So guys get those Office Apps ready and onto it. Everything Apple have iWorks Apps that can read and write Office files. Do it and do it better than Everything Apple ......

Not a simple job but here goes: 1. Make sure the adapter is configured correctly on the BizTalk side. Recommend this is done manually follow Mick Badran’s excellent blog here!! 2. Take the WSSv3 Adapter WS and copy it to the SP2010 environment. 3. Make changes to the WebService Web.config thus: OldVersion=XX.0.0.0 NewVersion = YY.0.0.0 Note: Typically xx=11 yy=14. The version numbers of the Microsoft.SharePoint.dll ......

I’ve just Tweeted on this but I thought it might be worth giving a larger explanation. Microsoft have included what amounts to an extended control panel. This allows the user to control various aspects of the OS that are not typically surfaced via a GUI or are hidden away under a number of options. To access this control panel we must setup ‘God Mode’. Here's how you enable it: Create a new folder (right-click and click on “New Folder”). Right-click on the folder and click on rename, copy and paste ......

I have just had a fun time with this one! The problem is seen in many Microsoft public newsgroups: When clicking on a hyperlink in an e-mail, I get this Message : "This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator." I get this message every time that I attempt to use the hyperlink. I am the administrator on this stand alone computer. How do I deactivate this feature so that I activate hyperlinks ? So firstly this is not an Outlook ......

Microsoft is announcing today a new organization within the Server & Tools Business (STB) that combines the Windows Azure group with the Windows Server & Solutions group. This new organization is called the Server & Cloud Division. This is an exciting time for Windows Azure with the recent launch of the Windows Azure platform at Microsoft’s Professional Developer Conference (PDC). The new organization presents a great opportunity for us to deliver more value to our customers and signifies ......

Visit the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Beta site to download the Beta, submit feedback, go to forums, and find more information about the Beta. This is for MSDN subs – the express versions will be available towards the end of the month. Versions are: Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate with MSDN – for team development Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Premium with MSDN - for developers building high quality, scalable apps Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional with MSDN – for ......

Sorry, not cracked the problems listed at the end of my last 64 bit dev blog. But added a new one. My BizTalk project required the reading of data from an Excel spreadsheet – don’t ask…. Now previously I have used: the Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider. This allows you to treat the spread sheet as any normal data source. See sample below 1: string strConn = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLE... + "Data Source=E:\\DEMO\\FileLocs\\... + "Extended Properties=Excel 12.0;"; 2: DataSet ds ......

Over the last few months I have made the move to 64 bit – Windows 7 RTM on my laptop and Windows 2008 standard server with hyper-v on my dev box. I’m also running 64 bit Office 2010 and a number of other 64 bit goodies. But it is in the area of development I’m really having ‘fun’. So first off it was time to setup a 64 bit dev image: Windows Server 2008 R2 Std (64 bit) SQL Server 2008 (64 bit) Visual Studio 2008 (32 bit only) BizTalk 2009 Developer Edition (64 bit) Windows SharePoint Server 3.0 (64 ......

Before we had Azure and the various bits and pieces that became Azure at PDC 2008 Microsoft had a number of disparate groups working on various ‘cloudy’ projects. these included BizTalk Services, Red dog, Mesh and the Live framework to name a few. Then at PDC 2008 with the wave of a marketing teams wand they all be became Azure or Azure Services or Azure platform or …well anyway the over-arching message was that they were all part of Azure!! Furthermore we were presented with the vision below… Now ......

BizTalk Server 2009 standard edition has a two CPU limit on it so you would think even if it was on a box with four CPU’s you’d only need two licenses. Not so you’d need four!! Read here a quote from the Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 pricing and licensing FAQ: The BizTalk Server 2009 STD engine can technically use only two processors on the server, even if it consists of more processors. For deployments where BizTalk Server 2009 is used, you need to buy the same number of processor licenses that ......

Doug Purdy at Microsoft blogged this latest info on Oslo today…. I haven’t posted anything about “Oslo” since ~May. Before I mention what we have been up to, I want to give a little recap. Back in September of 2008 (previous to PDC 2008), I wrote a post titled, What is Oslo?. Beyond my typical hyperbole, this post remains a fairly accurate description of what “Oslo” is and how we describe it. That said, this description does not outline how the project developed prior or after PDC 2008. Back in September ......

I’m one of those people who ‘cross-dresses’ when it comes to computers. I have Apples and I put Windows on them as well as Leopard. Now this is out of design and necessity. I work very much in the Microsoft space but love Everything Apple – both hardware and software. So it is no surprise I have been using Windows 7 for many months. I have only installed it using Bootcamp on my Laptop a Mac Pro 17”. All was well both 32 bit and latterly 64 bit. Come the great day I swiftly upped it to RTM – no problems. ......

Host: Jody Gilbert, Senior Editor 10 things Career Collaboration IT management Network administration Programming and development Project management Security Shortcuts Support Tips Web design Contact 10 cool features to look forward to in Office 2010 With the release of the Office 2010 Technical Preview, details are finally starting to roll in. Deb Shinder highlights some of the features she thinks might make the new version worth the upgrade 10 cool features to look forward to in Office 2010 Technorati ......

This command line demonstration explains how to build a bootable Windows 7 VHD image from a Windows 7 "install.wim" file using diskpart.exe and imagex.exe. The demonstration continues with an explanation of how to configure the boot entry using bcdedit.exe and explains the limitations of VHD Boot. See the Windows 7 VHD Overview page for more information about this technology. Windows 7 VHD Boot Demonstration Windows Virtual Hard Disk | Imaging | Windows 7 ......

The next version of Groove is getting a new name; the successor to Microsoft Office Groove 2007 will be SharePoint Workspace 2010. Microsoft claims that this is a natural progression since Groove is to SharePoint like Outlook is to Exchange. SharePoint Workspace 2010 won't just be the same product with a new name: Microsoft plans to add features that make it easier to deploy and manage. At the same time, Microsoft says that SharePoint Workspace will make it easier to access SharePoint content (or ......

I recently had to come up with a script to check a particular shared mailbox to see if there were any messages greater than 2 hours old. The following Power shell script was my prototype. cls # ---------------------------... # Setup credentials # ---------------------------... $servername = "ex02" $objUserCredentials = new-object System.Net.NetworkCredentia... "password1#", "Solidsoft") $dateNow = get-date $dateNow.ToString() ......

There really is only two ways to integrate a companies applications: Custom coding Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)Tools Custom Coding The default for any small or midsized organisation facing an integration project between large numbers of applications is to write the data transformation and mapping code from scratch using Java or .Net based languages. However, writing custom code may create problems like: Code reusability Visibility into structure of the integration transactions Scalability, ......

Microsoft Silverlight provides a strong foundation for building Rich Internet Applications (RIA). .NET RIA Services (Code named ‘Alexandria’ ) introduced at Mix 09 further simplifies Line of Business (LoB) RIA development. .NET RIA Services complement the existing Data Access Layer and presentation components in the .NET framework and Silverlight. They build on the foundation of ASP.NET and codify, evolve and support some of the common patterns in web applications. The downloadable March Community ......

With Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 about to hit the streets I ask are you paying too much for your EAI solution? Every organisation in the world is forced to evaluate every £ spent. Have you looked at how much you spend on your EAI/Middleware Server/platform and associated services to deliver it? At Solidsoft we know how to make every £ count. By using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006/2009 combined with the best EAI architects and solution developers in the business we can help make those pounds count ......

Doug Hauger, General Manager Business Strategy, recently spoke at the Thomas Weisel Partners 2009 Technology & Telecom conference. The wide ranging discussion covers an overview of the Windows Azure service and cloud technology more broadly. He gave some good answers to a number of topics: On describing Azure... "What we've done is to come out with a set of services that we believe simplify the life of the developer, and make it easier for them to build applications that scale..." On how cloud ......

Spaceblock now supports Azure: Jim Nakashima (Cloudy in Seattle) reveals all. Deploying a Service Package from Cloud Storage: Jim again blogs about the the new features in the latest Azure Services Development Portal Easy messages in Windows Azure: Neil Kidd’s blog around adding functionality to queues in StorgeLib common code Passing Objects via the Azure Message Queue: Read more in Dominic Green’s blog… ......

Microsoft have provided and excellent standards agreed format called XPS. Vista comes ready installed with an XPS viewer for XP you can download it. The issue is if your preferred browser is Firefox you will not be able to view XPS files. The solution is simple: Download the IE tab addin for Firefox Install it Then the clever bit open options Set up a URL thus: /^file:\/\/\/.*\.(xps)$/ Jobs a good ‘un. Now if you click on and XPS file Firefox will open and IE tab and load it ......

After upgrading to Microsoft® Office 2007 is the default for all documents is the .???x format for example new Word documents now end in .docx instead of .doc. Although the new file type offers many improvements over the old one, it can be troublesome to use if you work with many people that have older versions of Office. There are workarounds available from Microsoft, but it's usually easier just to send them something you know they can open. One way to solve the problem is to simply change the ......

Microsoft code name “Geneva”, an open platform for simplified user access based on claims. This release consists of three components: Geneva Framework for .NET developers, Geneva Server for IT Pros, and Windows CardSpace Geneva for users.

So the secret’s out! Microsoft’s Cloud will give us a number of key aspects. First is the foundation or Windows Azure, this can be seen as the cloud OS but is much, much more than that. It is an infinitely scalable Computation, Storage and Management system providing hyper-visor powered virtualization for cloud hosted apps be it web or otherwise. Next we have the application building blocks or Azure services. Here we find the gestation of BizTalk services and SQL data services. We have .Net services ......

I have recently been invited to join the Microsoft Cloud Advisory group and have just spent the last week at an SDR getting to understand all the wonderful cloud stuff. Unfortunately I'm under NDA until PDC but it is looking good. On the topic of the cloud and BizTalk I came across a blog by Lori MacVittie (http://devcentral.f5.com/w... that really has got it all wrong. The blog talks about BizTalk activities ......

Following on from BizTalk Server 2006 R2 released on October 2, 2007,Microsoft has been working on BizTalk Server 2006 R3. In a recent announcement Microsoft renamed it to simply BizTalk Server 2009. It is scheduled to be released in the first half of next year. A first community technology preview (CTP) has already been sent out to select BizTalk customers, and a second public CTP will be available later this year at PDC. Oliver Sharp, general manager of BizTalk Server, stated that BizTalk Server ......

Nice article by Sebastian Iacomuzzi: Intro to ZZermatt. Zermatt is a set of .NET Framework classes. It is a framework for implementing claims-based identity in your applications. When you build claims-aware applications, the user presents an identity to your application as a set of claims. One claim could be the user’s name, another might be an e-mail address. The idea here is that an external identity system is configured to give your application everything it needs to know about the user with each ......

“Zermatt” is the codename of a .NET framework that helps developers build claims-aware applications to address challenging application security requirements using a simplified application access model. It is currently in beta, and the first final version is expected towards the end of this year. This framework consists of a comprehensive set of libraries that facilitate the use of "claims" in applications - in Microsoft's words: make them "claims-aware". This greatly simplifies the development of ......

As we use more and more virtual machines, particularly for development, there is a risk because they don't get updated by pushing critical security or virus updates and then they are fired up six months later we can have a security problem. Microsoft has a solution for their virtual machine environment adding to the virtual machine management tooling - the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool. This turns on your VMs, updates them and shuts them down automatically. You can find information about ......

This is the User Guide, Samples and Walkthroughs for the tools for developing custom SharePoint applications with the Visual Studio 2005 extensions for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, version 1.1 (VSeWSS 1.1). The user guide has sections: Starting out in SharePoint Development Walkthrough of the VSeWSS User Interface including the WSP View The Team Site Project The Blank Site Project The List Definition Project The Web Part Project The Workflow Projects Project Item Templates Best Practices with ......

Sourced from: The official Microsoft ASP.Net site New features are being added to ASP.NET and ADO.NET this year that increase the power of the .NET Framework 3.5. These enhancements target: Enabling high-productivity data scenarios by using the ADO.NET Entity Framework, ADO.NET Data Services, ASP.NET MVC, and ASP.NET Dynamic Data. Supporting test-driven development by using a powerful and extensible ASP.NET MVC framework. Creating the best server for rich clients by using AJAX history support and ......

Following on from BizTalk in the cloud now we have SQL server in the cloud..... SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) are highly scalable, on-demand data storage and query processing utility services. Built on robust SQL Server database and Windows Server technologies, these services provide high availability, security and support standards-based web interfaces for easy programming and quick provisioning. Get more info here ......

Overview An adapter is a software component that enables you to send and receive messages to and from a line-of-business (LOB) system. The primary design goal of adapters is to facilitate the exchange of business documents between trading partners. The adapters provide the following advantages to clients: Consistent design-time experience. The adapters provide a common and user-friendly design time experience for browsing, searching, and retrieving metadata of LOB artifacts. Varied programming options. ......

Microsoft have announced that their RFID programme has now extended to mobile devices. From the Microsoft beta site the following information has been gleaned: Mobility and Standards Pack - Themes BizTalk RFID on Mobile Devices Support for key industry enablers Run on Handhelds, Forklift readers Better together with BizTalk RFID Server v1 Support for new readers with LLRP Tag Data Translation for richer EPC enabled applications Web Services for Devices for Discovery, Configuration, Initialization ......

Came across this great posting by Daniel Probert on BizBert - 13 part series on the BizTalk Mapper. Have a look at the links below. Note: This is the thirteenth in a series of 13 posts about the BizTalk Mapper. The other posts in this series are (links will become active as the posts become active): Understanding the BizTalk Mapper: Part 1 - Introduction Understanding the BizTalk Mapper: Part 2 - Functoids Overview Understanding the BizTalk Mapper: Part 3 - String Functoids Understanding the BizTalk ......

Asirra is a human interactive proof that asks users to identify photos of cats and dogs. It's powered by over three million photos from our unique partnership with Petfinder.com. Protect your web site with Asirra — free! Information provided by Microsoft Reseach ......

Microsoft's Silverlight browser plug-in will be bringing videos and other rich media to Nokia smart phones later this year. The two companies are scheduled to announce today at Microsoft's Mix '08 conference that Microsoft will write a version of Silverlight for Nokia's Series 60 (S60) smart phone software that runs on Symbian OS. The software, which will be available later this year, will also run on Series 40 devices and Nokia internet tablets. Source of information: Silicon.com (Link) ......

As Microsoft readies Windows 2008 for launch coupled with SQL server 2008 launch and the re-launch of Visual Studio 2008 ?? I am left feeling a little uneasy... When Visual Studio 2008 hit the streets it quickly became apparent that it was incompatible with a number of other products not least BizTalk 2006 R2 on recently launched!!! It is now also clear that Microsoft aren't supporting BizTalk 2006 R2 on Windows Serve 2008 either and of course it goes without saying that BizTalk will not support ......

With the earlier announcement from the Connected Systems Division around the project codename 'OSLO' it became clear that Microsoft have a big focus on Modelling. At the time in November 2007 the hint was given that this would be supported by a modelling language. At last week’s Lang.Net 2008 conference at Microsoft's Redmond campus — Chief CSD God Don Box provided a few hints as to where Microsoft is going on the tool and platform front with Oslo. Don stated that said Microsoft wasn’t interested ......

C# 3.0 introduces several language extensions that build on C# 2.0 to support the creation and use of higher order, functional style class libraries. The extensions enable construction of compositional APIs that have equal expressive power of query languages in domains such as relational databases and XML. Part of the new extensions is LINQ. LINQ is a codename for a set of extensions to the .NET Framework that encompass language-integrated query, set, and transform operations. It extends C# and Visual ......

This Virtual Lab hosted by Microsoft is on Installing and Configuring SharePoint 2007 (MOSS). I've installed and configured SharePoint on numerous occasions, but I can honestly say that I haven't done any of the more advanced configuration scenarios (e.g., Server Farms) and cannot attest to understanding a lot of the advanced features of configuring the server. This Virtual Lab allows you to learn how to learn how to do a lot in a virtually hosted training environment. I love these Virtual Labs! ......

Garth Pickup, CEO of Solidsoft is pleased to announce that once again Solidsoft is a key sponsor of Microsoft’s prestigious Architect Insight Conference taking place this year on 28 and 29 April in Old Windsor. “The Future of IT” is a key consideration for all our customers and is reflected in the theme of the conference, during which senior Solidsoft architects will present the following sessions: Building an Enterprise Service Bus with BizTalk Server 2006 and WCF Fast Forward to the Future of the ......

The new wave of web applications are built on technologies such as AJAX and Microsoft Silverlight that enable developers to build better, richer user experiences. These technologies bring a shift in how applications are organized, including a stronger separation of presentation from data. ADO.NET Data Services (also known as Project code name “Astoria”) consists of a combination of patterns and libraries that enables any data store to be exposed as a flexible data service, naturally integrating with ......

Various settings and customizations (e.g. Master Pages, Content Types) can be pushed to an entire SharePoint Site Collection pretty easy. But crossing the Site Collection can't be accomplished without building your own solution (which typically involves writing code). The Microsoft guys and girls have released a tool that can help you with these scenarios: SharePoint Cross-site Configurator (http://www.codeplex.com/SP... The SharePoint Cross-site Configurator The tool automates the process ......

Great new book: "Administrator's Guide to Microsoft Office 2007 Servers". Explore the features, the installation, and the configuration of these seven new servers and gain a conceptual understanding of how your users will be working with them. Forms Server 2007 Groove Server 2007 Communications Server 2007 PerformancePoint Server 2007 Project Portfolio Server 2007 Project Server 2007 SharePointA (R) Server 2007 for Search Along with the release of Windows Vista and the revamped suite of Office 2007 ......

Andrew Connell writes: Two new Visual How To's I've been working on have recently been posted on MSDN's online help. Hopefully this will help you in your MOSS 2007 WCM Publishing Site development! Adding Code-Behind Files to Master Pages and Page Layouts in SharePoint Server 2007 Learn to use code-behind files within master pages and page layouts that are used in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 Web content management (WCM) publishing sites. http://msdn2.microsoft.com/... ......

The BDC Mapper Web Part from Lightning Tools allows you to plot your geographical data on Microsofts Virtual Earth with an easy to configure web part. Allowing users to plot their Line of Business data on a map allows for a whole new visualisation opportunity that can help your users make quicker more informed decisions. Get it here ......

With the news of OSLO some months ago the Microsoft World has been all a buzz about Modelling. But this is a number of years away. What interests me is what do we do today? To model business processes today we need to be able to span not only BizTalk but also Workflow Foundation as well. At present there is no product that successfully does this, certainly not a Microsoft one! We can look to K2 for some relief but whilst it makes a go it the problem and delivers an excellent workflow tool we still ......

At CES in Las Vegas last week, UK incumbent telco, BT, and Microsoft announced a partnership that, starting in mid-2008, will allow BT broadband customers who also own Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming consoles to access BT's Microsoft Mediaroom-powered IPTV service, BT Vision, through the Xbox 360. Existing BT Vision customers, who currently access the service through a proprietary hybrid (DTT/IP) set-top box, will now have the option of also accessing it (minus Freeview DTT channels) through the Microsoft ......

Although the new open format Microsoft have introduced for Office 2007 will soon be the defacto standard in the interim most businesses need to exchange documents in the good old Office 97/2003 format. Remembering to save things correctly can become a chore. So to save having to think change the default save to the old format. To do this do the following: Open a document Click the Office button In Options choose save then 'save files in the format' Select 97/2003 format Click OK ......

Have a look at this site: http://www.microsoft.com/em... With the advent of the Windows Vista Presentation Foundation and the new Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) stunning 3D visualizations of your applications and animations will be easy to implement. The new Windows Live™ services and Vista Sidebar Gadgets lead to a new generation of customized mini-applications meeting your customers' needs. The Panel is the place to collect showcases of the new user experiences ......

Explore Office SharePoint Server 2007 with training from Microsoft experts, right from your desktop. Download a simple file to get the grand tour of the latest features and changes, including automated workflows to track approval cycles, business dashboards showing how well you are performing on your goals, and syncing documents to Outlook. The training, which includes articles, videos, and interactive tutorials, will lead you step-by-step through the rich features of Office SharePoint Server. Find ......

SharePoint 2007 product set has added many new features and services not least mega-support for Excel. What may have gone un-noticed is it also added great Visio support as well. Learn about enhanced features for integrating Microsoft Office Visio 2007 with Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 from this MSDN article ......

December 2007 CTP for Windows Live Tools has been released. This release is compatible with Visual Studio 2008 and ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview. Please find more information on Windows Live Dev Connect. For Visual Studio 2008 RTM Release and ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview, you can use the December 2007 CTP for Windows Live Tools. For details, click here ......

In a shock annoucement Warner Brothers have annouced that they are dumping HD DVD in favour of Bluray. This effectively means the party is over of Toshiba and Microsoft. This is a big blow for both but for Microsoft at least they can offer a Blu ray external addon! Also in a low annoucement it looks as though the Lord of the Rings trilogy will now only appear on Blu ray. Newline the studio responsible for LoTR is owned by Time Warner which in turn is owned by Warner Bros. Remember you read this news ......

Nice article at Microsoft MVP Carlos Sequra Sanz around adding custom workflows using SharePoint Designer 2007. Although the blog is in Spanish the relevant article is in english.... To access Part 1: Click here To access Part 2: Click here ......

According to a report from CRN, Microsoft plans to allow users of the Web Server SKU in Windows Server 2008 to 'run any type of database software with no limit on the number of users, provided they deploy it as an Internet-facing front-end server.' The previous limit was 50 users. Microsoft's partners expect the changes to go a long way toward making Windows Web Server 2008 more competitive with the LAMP stack, against which Microsoft has been making headway in recent months. News Source: Slashdot ......

To quote Joel Oleson: The Security & Compliance Solution Accelerator team has put together some guidance and a solution to quickly deploy an extranet solution based on WSS or SharePoint Server 2007. The Extranet Collaboration Toolkit for SharePoint is now in Beta and available via MSConnect! To learn more about the toolkit, click here ......

Explore several new features for authentication and authorization in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 that make it easier to develop and deploy solutions in Internet-facing and extranet environments. Have a look at these great articles by Steve Peschka of Microsoft Forms Authentication in SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 1): IntroductionForms Authentication in SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 2): Membership and Role Provider SamplesForms ......

Microsoft is proud to announce a new offline experience for the Journal, called the "Architecture Journal Reader." Demonstrating many of the UX principles highlighted in recent issues, this new reader is a locally installed application that enables you to take every issue of the Journal into a searchable, immersive, and easy-to-read experience. The application synchronizes with our content management services so that you'll automatically have access to the latest Journal issues without needing to ......

Previously, server based BizTalk adapter was used to access MQ Series and that requires MQ series server on Windows as intermediate server between BizTalk Server and non-Windows Queue Managers. In some situation, when installing the MQAgent to Windows MQ Series box is not an option the client based BizTalk adapter (MQSC) is needed to achieve the same goal. Go and have a read here: BizTalk MQSC Adapter ......

Microsoft is releasing on Wednesday a technology preview of its Volta Web developer toolset, which is intended to make it easier to build multitier Web applications, including applications useful in SaaS (software as a service) environments. With Volta, developers can use C#, Visual Basic, IronPython, or other .Net languages that utilize .Net libraries and tools, Microsoft said. But taking advantage of Volta requires the newly released Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 toolset because Volta will not work ......

More from TechEd... Popfly Explorer has debuted into beta on the heels of Microsoft announcing the release to manufacturing dates for Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5. At Microsoft TechEd Developers 2007 in Barcelona, Spain, the Redmond company revealed that both Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 are planned for general availability by the end of November. At the same time, Microsoft also unveiled the release of the first Community Technology Preview of Sync Framework as ......

Microsoft announces the Sync Framework CTP at TechEd Barcelona... Microsoft Sync Framework is a comprehensive synchronization platform that enables collaboration and offline access for applications, services, and devices. It features technologies and tools that enable roaming, sharing, and taking data offline. Using Microsoft Sync Framework, developers can build sync ecosystems that integrate any application, with any data from any store using any protocol over any network. Microsoft Sync Framework ......

At Teched 2007 in Barcelona, Spain S. "Soma" Somasegar, corporate vice president of the Developer Division, announced that Visual Studio 2008 and .Net Framework 3.5 will be released at the end of November. It's the first major update to Visual Studio, Microsoft's flagship integrated development environment (IDE), since 2005. Some of the key features in VS 2008 include: LINQ. Language Integrated Query (LINQ) is the most-anticipated new feature of Microsoft's next IDE. LINQ will make access to databases ......

Mike Walker of Microsoft writes: On Tuesday at the SOA & BP Conference (http://www.mssoaandbpconfe... we are announcing the availability of the V6.2 CTP of the Managed Services Engine (MSE). This release (http://www.codeplex.com/se... is the culmination of three years of working with customers to address the challenges of real world SOA, collaboration with P&P, CSD, and EPG, and a lot of sweat and passion from some of the brightest architects and consultants in the field. ......

IDS Scheer announced at the Microsoft SOA and Business Process Conference, the 2008 availability of its integration of the ARIS Platform with Microsoft BizTalk Server. As a preferred BPM modeling and monitoring partner for the Microsoft Business Process Alliance, IDS Scheer previewed the integration at the conference last week. With Microsoft's future emphasis on modeling in the 'Oslo' the announcement of the IDS Scheer ARIS product is timely in providing a modeling solution today while we wait for ......

SharePointPedia.com has been launched as an example of a public-facing social computing application. It is built on top of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007. The vision behind it is to enable users on the Web to find and share content about SharePoint and SharePoint related stuff. If you have a Windows Live ID you can register and submit content, recommendations, leave comments, and vote for the best content. If you love MOSS then get down to the site...remember the bigger the community ......

An excellent posting covering the 'new' Microsoft BizTalk LoadGen 2007 coupled with a simple WCF test. Read all about it a the Connected Thoughts blog. The tool in a nutshell is a command line utility called LoadGenConsole.exe that takes an XML configuration file and generates the load tests described in the configuration file. The 2007 version of LoadGen can be used to simulate load in several types of transport (file, HTTP, MQSeries, MSMQ, SOAP, WSE, WSS, WCF) and to monitor certain types of systems ......

Here is the full list of available posters and where to get hold of their soft copies: · BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Capabilities PosterThis poster lists the BizTalk Server 2006 capabilities bucketed in eight categories and is designed to provide both high level and detailed view of the capabilities and features that are included in the product (to enable technical discussions). Download the poster here · BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Runtime Architecture PosterThis poster is designed to provide high level view ......

As a long time BizTalk Architect/consultant and having been involved in a number of advisory discussions and technology sessions with the Connected Systems Division of Microsoft I've had a fair amount of time to decide what it all means.... In the recent announcements it will come as no surprise that the basis of Oslo is the next versions of existing products: Oslo is the code name for a set of technical investments that aim to significantly simplify designing, building, managing, and scaling service-oriented ......

Today at the UK Microsoft's Architects Council we had the news on the announcement of Oslo the next generation of Microsoft's SOA platform. This of course was not news as the Council is acting as Technical advisors to the Connected System division but it was nice to know the new was out! Building on the technology available today, the “Oslo” advancements will be delivered through Microsoft server and tools products in five key areas: Server. Microsoft BizTalk Server “6” will continue to provide a ......

From Microsoft Technet: This article provides information to help you understand the tested performance and capacity limits of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, provides information about the test environment and test results, and offers guidelines for acceptable performance. Use the information in this article to determine whether your planned deployment falls within acceptable performance and capacity limits. Get the full article here ......

WSS 3.0 Windows SharePoint Services conforms to the Windows Server 2003 licensing model. The usage of the Windows SharePoint Services on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, is limited to front-end Web serving tasks. The data storage portion of Windows SharePoint Services may not be installed or used on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition. Versions Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007Server and client access licensing. For each server, or each server in a farm, a valid server license must be purchased. ......

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Editions SKUs Enterprise Standard Branch Developer Primary Scenario Designed for customers with enterprise-level requirements for high volume, reliability, and availability Designed for businesses with moderate volume and deployment scale requirements Specialty version of BizTalk Server designed for hub and spoke deployment scenarios including RFID Available for development and testing purposes, and BizTalk Server 2006 Evaluation Edition (EVAL) is for free evaluation ......

Microsoft have now launched the fifth full version of BizTalk Server. BizTalk Server 2006 R2 adds to and improves the existing release BizTalk Server 2006 adding new Business Process Management and SOA/ESB capabilities, improved EDI and AS2 support and a major addition of RFID capability. The news doesn't just stop there so pop along to http://www.microsoft.com/bi... •Learn more about BizTalk for SOA •Learn more about BizTalk for Business Process Management ......

Thanks to Mike Badran for this (see original here) Factoid Source 12 of the 15 largest Retailers in the World run Microsoft BizTalk Elsevier Food International, September 2006 (sourced from PlanetRetail database) 5 of 10 largest Hotel Chains in the World with over 2 Million rooms use Microsoft BizTalk Hotels Magazine, July 2007 6 of the 8 largest U.S. Pharmacuetical Companies use Microsoft BizTalk Fortune 1000 by Industry, April 30, 2007 4 of the 5 largest U.S. Electronics Parts Manufacturers use ......

Whilst the big focus is the release of BizTalk 2006 R2, Microsoft also released BizTalk Server Adapter Pack Beta 2 for testing today, to help customers integrate their line of business applications. The adapters work with BizTalk Server 2006 R2, SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and are scheduled to be available in the first half of 2008. Additional information on Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 and related technologies can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/bi... ......

Microsoft announce the release of WCF LOB Adapter SDK. Here are some of the related links: WCF LOB Adapter SDK Technology Site WCF LOB Adapter SDK Download Site WCF LOB Adapter SDK MSDN Forum BizTalk Server Roadmap Building Custom WCF Channels While the team is working on providing the official documentation, see some of the following posts to learn more about WCF LOB Adapter SDK. About WCF LOB Adapter SDK Basic Q & A Adapter usage patterns WCF LOB Adapter SDK and its relationship with WCF Channel ......

MS-HUG TechForum - BizTalk Accelerator for HL7By RRuggeri Straight from the horse's mouth, Stuart Landrum, Program Manager for the BizTalk Accelerators gave an overview of the new features for the Accelerator for HL7 2.0(A4HL7) in BizTalk 2006 R2. Here they are:. New Accelerator Licensing! ...The Healthcare IT Blog - http://blogs.msdn.com/rrugg... MS-HUG Day 1By Eric Stott What's New in BizTalk Server 2006 R2. Stuart Landrum Program Manager, BizTalk, Microsoft Corporation. Well, it was ......

Microsoft have released a new version of the WSS/MOSS SDK below is an overview of what's in it. Download here Overview The Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 SDK is designed for solution providers, independent software vendors, value-added resellers, and other developers to learn about the new Office SharePoint Server 2007 enterprise application and platform. It features conceptual and "How to" articles, sample code, and programming references.What’s New in this Release for the MOSS SDK ......

Yes, the article about Biztalk vs Scribe is comingBy FriendlyCRMonster(FriendlyC... My article about Biztalk vs Scribe Insight is bit delayed, guess my few quiet days are over and working hard for one of our new clients in the South of the Netherlands. Nevertheless I got very curious about Biztalk Server 2006. ...Friendly Microsoft Dynamics CRM Monster - http://friendlycrmonster.bl... unrecognized schema typeMicrosoft.public.biztal... unrecognized schema type.www.tech-archive.net: ......

Having a 24' iMAC is a lot of fun. Mine happily dual boots between 'Tiger' and 'Vista' but sometimes there are things I'd like to do using both... And then came VMware Fusion! Not only does it virtualise my BottCamp install but it also has this super feature called Unity. Unity mixes up my Tiger and Vista experiences allowing me to run Windows applications directly from the Dock. I can minimize Windows applications to the Dock, switch between Windows or Mac applications with Exposé, find and instantly ......

Over a number of years I have been considering, cajoling, driving, arguing and mostly thinking about BizTalk in a SOA world and Microsoft's messaging around SOA. A number of things have struck me: 1. Achieving a SOA based on BizTalk is not just about exposing various BizTalk applications as Services. 2. Services shouldn't be simply request/response 3. Messaging is at the core of SOA but which form? Command, Event or document? 4. If BizTalk is to play a significant role it is not just simply the Bus ......

OK so I've now lived with BT Vision for a month or so and have to say I'm very happy. OK it hasn't been without it's troubles but they are minor compared to my last few months with Sky! My problems started with Sky in two ways: 1. A gradual reduction in picture quality - the wonderful customer services (technical - that's an extra 20 minute wait over and above the normal 30 minutes!!) advised me that 1) I needed to move to HD??? 2) It was because I now had so many more channels to pick from therefore ......

Some interesting comments are starting to appear in advance of this, what has always been dubbed as, a point release launch. In particular Ronald Schmelzer, an analyst with the SOA consulting firm ZapThink LLC, says the 2006 R2 release "adds a number of significant features with regards to loosely coupled styles of interaction [and] greater capabilities with regards to BizTalk Services, the hosted version, and a number of features that aid in process-driven service creation." Click here to link to ......

This is an interesting question and in fact one that has been voiced to us recently. For a number of years at Solidsoft we have been 'helping' local government deliver connected systems in the drive to deliver e-Government here in the UK. A number of key points have come to light during that period: 1. In a lot of cases our work has been limited to connecting legacy systems to other systems, connecting Local Authorities (LA's) to the Government Gateway and helping provide key service facades. What ......

Microsoft has announced the 2007 Microsoft SOA & Business Process Conference to be held from October 29th through November 2nd, 2007 at the Microsoft Conference Center on the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, WA. The web site states: During 4 days of breakout sessions, chalk talk discussions, hands-on-labs, peer networking, and social events you will learn about both Microsoft’s current portfolio and long-term strategy for SOA & Business Process initiatives. Whether you are a developer, architect, ......

Steven Martin, CSD Product Manager at Microsoft in his blog states: Today at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Denver, we announced that BizTalk Server 2006 R2, is set to launch in September of this year! We also gave details on pricing, licensing and SKUs— all the details can be found here—but here are the important points I want to highlight today (all available with BizTalk Server 2006 R2): · The New Branch Edition: Intra-organizational connectivity (hub / spoke) is an important scenario for ......

There is a buzz around the post WPC world that Microsoft may be about to launch a single SKU that in real terms is the Microsoft shrink wrapped SOA product. Burley Kawasaki, director of product management with Microsoft’s Connected Systems Division, is quoted as saying. “We are trying to codify our experience and create an integrated licensing offering so you can buy a single SKU and have all the software you need … We think this pack can be a platform for building Office-based composite apps on ......

Microsoft showcased its new on-demand Dynamics Live CRM service July 10, which will be operated and managed within its data centers and initially available in the United States. It is based on the upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, code-named Titan, a multitenant application platform that also supports deployments in on-premise and partner-hosted environments. See it here ......

The MicrosoftESB Guidance provides architectural guidance, patterns, practices, and a set of BizTalk Server and .NET components to simplify the development of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) on the Microsoft platform and to allow Microsoft customers to extend their own messaging and integration solutions.

Some fun stuff on the Microsoft Connect Site: Welcome. This site is for software developers who want to build Windows Workflow Foundation workflow models and then take advantage of the BizTalk Server 2006 hosting environment. Here you can download the latest version of the SDK Sample that does this, submit bugs found or feature suggestions and from time to time we will survey you so that you can provide input into planning for this technology in the future ......

Quoted from Ms white paper: SQL Server 2008 capabilities deliver on the four key areas of the data platform vision. · Mission-Critical Platform – SQL Server 2008 enables IT groups to be more productive by providing a more secure, scalable, and manageable platform. It includes a new policy-based management framework that shifts from managing by scripts to managing by rules. SQL Server 2008 also protects valuable information in existing applications and disconnected devices. In addition, SQL Server ......

At the end of March Microsoft announced the Teamplain a TFS web frontend TeamPlain Web Access for Team System TeamPlain Web Access is a web interface for Microsoft® Team Foundation Server that allows managing work items, shared documents, reports and source control repositories. Streamlines Team System usage Enables broader participation to development lifecycle Allows cross platform access to Team Foundation Server (TFS) Enables fine grained security configurations not present in TFS Helps organizations ......

FYI – in case you haven’t got a concise list like this. In case you hadn’t heard. We have just released the March CTP for “Orcas” and the .NET Framework 3.5. Customers are able to get a VPC with the installed bits from here. As with all CTP’s it is important to have your customers provide any feedback. The .NET Framework 3.5 brings no breaking changes. New technology is being added including LINQ, AJAX, Windows Foundation, WCF and WPF Developer Tools and BCL enhancements. ......

Solidsoft needs you.......... Solidsoft is growing and growing fast. We are winning new business with major blue chip customers, consolidating business with existing customers and moving into new technology areas but associated with core technologies we major in at Solidsoft! We have a proven track record with major clients such as Lockheed Martin, M&S, House of Fraser, Unum Provident, Department of Communities and Local Government and G4S. We are now driving forward in the BPM space and excitingly ......

Configuration and Management Team Foundation Server AdministrationEffective administration of Team Foundation Server is critical to the success of your team projects. Team Foundation Server administrative tasks vary according to the specific project management features that your organization requires. Walkthrough: Backing Up and Restoring a Team Foundation ServerDemonstrates how to back up and restore a Team Foundation server. Walkthrough: Setting up Team Foundation Server with Secure Socket Layer ......

The Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server Power Tool (formerly known as Power Toys) is a set of enhancements, tools and command-line utilities that improve the Team Foundation Server user experience. This release includes two new command-line tools for the developer and three non-command line tools: a process template editor, a set of custom check-in policies, and a test tools build task: Team Foundation Server Power Tool Commands (tfpt.exe) - A command-line tool with enhanced functionality ......

At the recent Microsoft Architects Insight Conferernce Charles Young and Myself were responsible for running a discussion clinic. Our topic was Skills and education. For the outcome read here: http://blogs.msdn.com/archi... Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

This week Microsoft released the Visual Studio codename "Orcas" March 2007 CTP and this is the first time that features from .NET Framework 3.5 have been included. Have a look at Matt Winklers blog and Somasegars blog. Get the Team Suite-Only VPC to review the new features in .NET Framework 3.5. Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

SAN DIEGO — Feb. 26, 2007 — At the Gartner Business Process Management Summit, Microsoft Corp. today announced the formation of the Microsoft Business Process Alliance (BPA), which extends the benefits of business process management (BPM) to an array of companies and offers enhanced functionality to existing Microsoft customers. The Business Process Alliance is a group of 10 industry-leading software vendors focused on making BPM solutions more broadly accessible and helping companies take advantage ......

Description: This sample shows how to use MSBuild (available with Visual Studio 2005) to build, deploy, and undeploy a BizTalk 2006 Solution. This sample does not use an MSI or a binding file and build, binds, and deploys all BizTalk and .Net code using MSBuild Tasks. This sample uses the custom tasks developed by Microsoft UK and available on GotDotNet. Download: Build and Deployment with MSBuild for BizTalk Server 2006 Author: Stephen W. Thomas Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

The Microsoft Best Practices Analyzer for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and the 2007 Microsoft Office System Best Practices Analyzer programmatically collects settings and values from data repositories such as MS SQL, registry, metabase and performance monitor. Once collected, a set of comprehensive ‘best practice’ rules are applied to the topology. Administrators running this tool will get a detailed report listing the recommendations that can be made to the environment to achieve greater performance, ......

Solidsoft needs you.......... Solidsoft is growing and growing fast. We are winning new business with major blue chip customers, consolidating business with existing customers and moving into new technology areas but associated with core technologies we major in at Solidsoft! We have a proven track record with major clients such as Lockheed Martin, M&S, House of Fraser, Unum Provident, Department of Communities and Local Government and G4S. We are now driving forward in the BPM space and excitingly ......

SharePointAn Overview of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 The new version of SharePoint is poised to meet all your collaboration and information management needs in a single, integrated platform. Here’s a tour of the new features and tools in MOSS that will change the way your enterprise works. Thomas Rizzo7 New Features That Enhance Security in SharePoint With SharePoint tapping into more enterprise data and becoming more integral to business workflow, security becomes far more critical. ......

Microsoft engineer's boat still missing; Coast Guard to call off search. The article talks of "Google engineers are also helping in search by looking at their Google Earth satellite photos for any signs of a boat in distress" and the Amazon CTO, Werner Vogels, is tracking the issue in his http://www.allthingsdistrib... Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

Here's and interesting thought for this week...does Microsoft lead or lag the world of BPM? At the beginning of this week BPM suite company Metastorm announced their plans for 2007. What was most striking about their announcement was the way in which they are going to leverage the latest Microsoft technology including Office 2007, Vista and MOSS 2007. In particular they make reference to the Office 2007 ribbon and Vista gadget's. What is the message from Microsoft? Well putting aside the BPM picture ......

The latest preview of the next version of Visual Studio .NET is available as a VPC image (4GB!) here http://www.microsoft.com/do... Highlights are listed on the download page View article... Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

Recently, a few photos have popped up on the Internet of a very interesting change in Microsoft's latest console, the Xbox 360. From what inside sources say, the next generation of consoles to come out of Redmond will feature a true HDMI port on the back of the newest version, codenamed Zephyr. This HDMI port will give the 360 the much needed capability of true digital 1080p support. Aside from this, further updates include a cooler 65nm processor, and a new 120Gb hard drive. There's no word yet ......

Microsoft have released a whole bunch of BizTalk samples. Below I have copied the links from the site so take your pick and getting working. Main link is MSDN BizTalk Samples Publishing and Consuming Web Services with SOAP HeadersThis sample demonstrates how to publish a BizTalk orchestration as a Web service with a SOAP header and how to consume the SOAP header from a Web service request message. BAM and HAT CorrelationThis sample demonstrates how to use the enhanced BAM features, and how to customize ......

This white paper, along with the sample application, showcases integration using service orientation with BizTalk Server 2006, Windows Communication Foundation, and Microsoft Business Scorecard Manager.

Solidsoft needs you.......... Solidsoft is growing and growing fast. We are winning new business with major blue chip customers, consolidating business with existing customers and moving into new technology areas but associated with core technologies we major in at Solidsoft! We have a proven track record with major clients such as Lockheed Martin, M&S, House of Fraser, Unum Provident, Department of Communities and Local Government and G4S. We are now driving forward in the BPM space and excitingly ......

Paul Brown of Solidsoft AKA the Arch BizTalk Hacker has been having some fun developing with Windows Foundation and the MetaStorm team in the MTC at Microsoft's UK HQ. I mention this because of a reference to the work in Mike Taulty of MS's Blog. Nice one Paul I believe the term Windows Foundation god is now very fitting. Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

From Zune Insider: Today (Tuesday the 19th of December) we’re issuing a 22 MB update to make Zune compatible with Windows Vista. The update also improves the Zune software installation process, addressing the issues that some of the known issues users reported. Like Jason R said recently “It is plumbing stuff, but it is stuff customers will notice and appreciate.” So you should install the update, even if you’re not running Vista. Get it here Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

On the 14 December Microsoft released Service Pack 1 for Visual Studio - Service Pack 1. Amongst a number of fixes it also fixes the Vista compatibility issue. Beware though the install can take over an hour!!!

So I'm in Chicago, attending the Microsoft .Net PAC, it's -8C, it's nearly Christmas and I take warmth shelter in Virgin..... and then I find the Zune section! 5 minutes later minus $270 I'm the proud owner of a Zune (Well 2 actually I got one for the Arch BizTalk Hacker as well!!!). Rush back to the hotel, discarding packaging as I go and then.....Vista! I have an Acer 4000 64 bit running 64 bit Vista and....64 bit XP. Try to install Zune software....Vista not supported.....reboot....XP 64.....try ......

This information is an extract from Patrick Schmid's blog found at : http://pschmid.net/blog/200... How to Install Office 2007 RTM Remove all Office 2007 Beta applications. Install the Office 2007 RTM build Install Windows Desktop Search 3 RTM (Outlook & OneNote will prompt you to download and install it when you open them for the first time) Install the PDF & XPS, PDF or XPS add-in for Office 2007. Fix the Building Blocks issue as shown below (this is a must for everyone who had any ......

If you get: User receives the following error: Setup is unable to proceed due to the following error(s): The 2007 Microsoft Office system does not support upgrading from a prerelease version of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. You must first uninstall any prerelease versions of the 2007 Microsoft Office system products and associated technologies. Correct the issue(s) listed above and re-run setup. Then: The Office 2003 Web Components feature installed with Office 2007 Beta2 causes the Office 2007 ......

Windows Vista and Office 2007: Availability on MSDN Subscriber DownloadsOffice 2007 is now available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads. Windows Vista is expected to be available on Friday November 17, 2006 PST. Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

By Eli Robillard ...Liam Cleary has a fantastic in-depth series running on rebuilding a corporate website with the new WCM features of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. We're talking deep practical dives into CSS, master pages, navigation, and content types. Highly recommended! Part I - Introduction and getting started Part II - Designing the layout Part III - Creating the content types Also checkout "Building tylerbutler.com" Part I - Planning and Basic Branding Part II - Building Content ......

Yes, after 5 long years of development, Windows Vista has finally been completed and has now been Released To Manufacturing (RTM). Windows Vista is Microsoft's latest version of Windows and is the successor to Windows XP. The big milestone was announced this morning in Redmond at around 11AM PDT (7PM GMT) via Microsoft PressPass. Also general release date now set as 30th Jan 2007. Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

Biztalk 2006 Recipes: A Problem-solution Approach BizTalk 2006 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach is based on the experiences of many of the most prominent experts in the field. It features over 170 problem-solving recipes for BizTalk developers and administrators. BizTalk Server 2006 builds on the heritage and core architecture of BizTalk Server 2004, leading to a powerful tool that encompasses the latest Microsoft technologies and industry standards for automating and managing business processes. ......

Microsoft's foray into the cross-platform realm of Web functionality development is now official. Today, the company released Beta 1 of what it now calls ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 - essentially its Web development toolkit for Asynchronous JavaScript. Betanews states: The Microsoft's goal at this point is to develop a series of small libraries that a browser can load into memory as necessary -- rather than loading one huge library -- that will give Web developers the framework for implementing on-page controls. ......

PC Advisor states: If you want something done properly, do it yourself, so the saying goes. And Microsoft has done just that when testing beta versions of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. A product manager for Microsoft UK visited PC Advisor today and told us that the company has rolled out around 50,000 Windows Vista installs to staff globally, with the majority of Microsoft employees now using the OS. To all intents and purposes, the operating system is complete, with only a few minor ......

From yesterday's Betanews: A statement released to the press very early this morning from Ben Fathi, Microsoft's corporate vice president for security technology, gives some subtle but clear indications that, if McAfee wants to take its claims against Windows Vista security features off the streets and into a more formal setting, Microsoft might be willing to make a battle of it. "It's unfortunate that McAfee's lawyers are making these kinds of inaccurate and inflammatory statements," Fathi's statement ......

[Tounge firmly in cheek] At last a clear BAM dashboard aid has been developed allowing the high power business executive to understand what is really going on in those business processes. Although it can be used for a number of process measurement displays Spud Murphy of the Microsoft Arts and Craft division said "I think this is the answer to our prayers, move over Business Scorecard Manager and Performance Point Server this is the real McCoy". Microsoft have still to confirm this will be included ......

WMDC (Windows Mobile Device Centre), is the new software in Vista that replaces ActiveSync and you cannot even install ActiveSync on Vista.If you installed Vista RC1 and plugged in your Windows Mobile Phone (either Pocket PC or Smart Phone) and expected Outlook to start syncing you would be in for a rude shock. All Vista does is open the device in Explorer so you can browse it and get to explore files - but nothing to sync up. This is because the WMDC bits are not publicly released yet but are being ......

This is a discussion that is doing the rounds at Microsoft at the moment so I thought it might be interesting to add my thoughts. So what is BPEL? Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is a means of describing high-level state transition interactions of a process or processes in a standardized fashion. The concept described is usually referred to as an Abstract Process. An Abstract Process represents a set of publicly observable behaviors in a standardized fashion. An Abstract Process includes ......

ScottGus blog has annouced: "Atlas" 1.0 Naming and Roadmap Over the last year we’ve been working hard on “Atlas”. It has evolved, changed, and grown because of the amazing amount of feedback and early adoption that we’ve seen. We’ve had an unbelievable amount of interest and excitement around the product, with more than 250,000 downloads this year alone. Shipping “Atlas” 1.0 Many people have asked us to deliver a fully-supported 1.0 release of “Atlas” before the next release of Visual Studio. “Fully ......

Engadget reports: Nothing official or anything, but the folks at GamesIndustry.biz are catching wind from their retail pals that Microsoft is prepping to drop their HD DVD drive in the UK this November for £199. Added to the current price of an Xbox 360 Premium in the UK the total price comes to £478, compared to the PS3's £425 asking price in the UK. The good news is that sources also suggest Microsoft is planning on selling a bundle of the HD DVD drive and Premium 360 for £400 or even possibly ......

Richard Turner posted: It seems like we've been waiting for this particular release of technologies forever. For those who have been following the story since our coming out at PDC 2003, the subsequent SDRs (Software Design Reviews), early-adopter programs, CTPs and Betas, can finally see that the light further down the tunnel is in fact the end, and not an oncoming train! I would like to thank all of you who have worked with us over the last 3+ years and helped us make the technologies shipping ......

From the Microsoft SoCal site I gleamed the following: Micrsoft have just released two great resources for BizTalk BAM aficionados. The first, BAM Frequently Asked Questions covers great topics like BAM tracing, common errors, maintaining the BAM databases and more. Good stuff. The second doc. Developing with BAM goes through the BAM API and explains (with code snippets) how to use the API. Obviously you could write volumes on the tactics for BAM programming, but this document is a great start for ......

Quoted from Microsoft sources: With the last major upgrade to Windows, Windows XP, it was "not quite" two months between RC1 and the product's release to manufacturing, Wilcox said. If Microsoft releases Windows Vista RC1 on Sept. 5 or thereabouts, the release to manufacturing -- and a release to business customers -- could happen as soon as early November. Microsoft has said it will release Vista to business customers in November, but has not specified the exact date According to sources familiar ......

Solidsoft CTO elected to UK Microsoft Architect Council Solidsoft announced that its Chief Technology Officer, Andy James has been elected to the UK Microsoft Architect Council. The Council's objectives are:· To provide a community where senior IT architects can meet to discuss issues relevant to their respective industries.· To provide a mechanism to feedback and influence Microsoft products, strategy and direction.· To support Microsoft initiatives in relation to the architect community.· To help ......

Darren Strange of MS UK blogged: An internal email from Chris Capposela (head of IW) to field sales confirms that 2007 will get added to the price list in November. This is excellent news and a strong indicator of our confidence. That said, usual caveats apply about how product performance and quality will ultimately dictate availability. Our development schedule remains on track to deliver the 2007 Microsoft Office system by the end of 2006, with broad general availability in early 2007. Feedback ......

Over he last couple of months a number of intresting things have hit the streets around BizTalk 2006. New BPM Site Launched A new Business Process Management (BPM) site was recently launched by Microsoft at www.microsoft.com/bpm. Visit this site to learn how integrated, easy to use business process management solutions from Microsoft make it possible for organizations of all sizes to increase sales, reduce costs, optimize existing customer and supplier relationships, and recognize and react quickly ......

Even though Vista on a 32 bit machine will recognise and be able to use both HD DVD and Blue Ray drives it will not support commercial HD movie playback. The reason for this? To quote MS source: The surprising disclosure was made by Senior Program Manager Steve Riley during a presentation on Windows Vista security at Tech.Ed 2006 Sydney today. “Any next-generation high definition content will not play in x32 at all,” said Riley. “This is a decision that the Media Player folks made because there are ......

Well, after all the hype of yet-another-Microsoft-viral... their latest teaser site, NotForNoobs.com, turned out to be a hype builder for a gaming mouse, and not for the Zune or the Xbox 360. The big news is that they've teamed up with Razer for this one, and the result is the Habu, a high-precision, 2,000 dpi laser mouse with interchangeable side button panels, high speed motion detection, and the ability to adjust DPI on the fly. Oh, and it's wired, too, doesn't sound like they're ......

A month ago, Microsoft officials said to expect the first service pack (SP) for Visual Studio 2003 to hit around Augusut 15. And SP1 made it out this week. VS 2003 SP1 includes more than 400 bug fixes. Next up: Visual Studio 2005 SP1. An update on the whereabouts of that fix pack is coming in the next couple of weeks, company officials said

The director of Microsoft's open source lab has invited the Mozilla development team to come to Redmond and participate in a Vista porting lab. Microsoft is interested in helping the team make sure Firefox and Thunderbird will work properly on Vista. To date, Microsoft has invited commercial software makers and large corporate customers to these kinds of labs. If the Mozilla folks participate, it will be the first time an open-source venture took part in a Windows porting lab of this nature, it seems. ......

At last Microsoft has launched a blog writing tool! Windows Live Writer is a desktop application that makes it easier to compose compelling blog posts using Windows Live Spaces or your current blog service. Blogging has turned the web into a two-way communications medium. Our goal in creating Writer is to help make blogging more powerful, intuitive, and fun for everyone. Writer has lots of features which we hope make for a better blogging experience. Some of the ones we are most excited about include: ......

After many years hard work and effort Solidsoft have finally been recognised as the centre of excellent for Business Process and Integration. At the World Wide Partners Conference in Boston last night Solidsoft were awarded ‘Microsoft’s Global Partner of the Year for Business Process and Integration!’ Not a bad week this week after also gaining MVP recognition for Charles Young! Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

Microsoft have announced plans for a new version of Virtual PC - VPC 2007. While we haven't gone into a great deal of detail about new features of VPC 2007, it will include support for Windows Vista as both a host and guest operating system. It will also include support for 64-bit Vista as a host OS, and that VPC 2007 will have increased performance over VPC 2004.
Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com

Microsoft have announced that: Virtual PC 2004 SP1 will be available free - now! Virtual PC 2007 will be available for free in 2007, with support for Microsoft Windows Vista Windows Vista Enterprise customers will have the right to install four copies of the operating system on a desktop for a single user be it quad boot or virtual image Details and download Virtual PC from http://www.microsoft.com/vi... Previously posted at blog.Solidsoft.com ......

The secret is out…. Microsoft do have an IPOD project being developed under the codename ‘Argo’ Over the coming months there should be a lot of noise around this project. And for fun hear’s the first picture supplied by Engadget! ......

The Feature Set: Feature Main Purpose More Information Business Data Catalog Enables you to present line-of-business data within SharePoint Server 2007. For example, using Business Data Catalog, you can search an Office SharePoint Server 2007 site and retrieve information from back-end systems such as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning applications. It is a new feature of Office SharePoint Server 2007. Business Data Catalog Single Sign-on Provides storage and mapping ......

Microsoft have announced the Office Business Applications Services (OBA) home on MSDN now the OBA Portal.Here you’ll find information about Line of Business Interoperability (LOBi) for Office SharePoint Server 2007. This newly announced functionality provides a set of services that enables users to access information and processes in line-of-business applications through the familiar environment of Microsoft Office. This provides some neat starting points for projects of this nature ......

Posted by Robert Burke: The MSDN Documentation: It's immense, it's thorough, it eats over a gig of my disk (and is worth it)... but it's never updated quickly enough. And more egregious, it's doesn't include the wisdom that comes from years of community development! I mean, which is more likely to help you find a solution: pressing F1 in Visual Studio over (for example) the ServiceContract attribute, or Alt-Tabbing to your web browser, launching your search engine of choice, and punching in "WCF ......

With a little help from my friends: The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 (formerly WinFX), is the new managed code programming model for Windows. It combines the power of the .NET Framework 2.0 with new technologies for building applications that have visually compelling user experiences, seamless communication across technology boundaries, and the ability to support a wide range of business processes. It has a community home at : .Net 3.0 Web Site ......

We are the champions! (almost) And I quote: Basingstoke, UK , 13 June 2006 - Solidsoft Nominated for Two Partner of the Year Awards at the Microsoft Worldwide Conference · Technology Innovation Partner of the Year Finalist · Sales and Marketing Partner of the Year Finalist Solidsoft has been selected as a Microsoft Partner Awards Program finalist for two awards in the Business Process & Integration Solutions category. Both nominations are as a result of our work with Kent County ......

4% of Something: On 13 June 2006 Microsoft is planning to release: Security Updates • Nine Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Windows. The highest Maximum Severity rating for these is Critical. These updates will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser and the Enterprise Scan Tool. Some of these updates will require a restart. Note that, as discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-013, with the release of one of these bulletins, support for the compatibility ......

I want it all: Office 2007 supports all the technologies that users and developers have used to extend Office with custom code over the years. Maybe most importantly, Office 2007 can run macros embedded in existing Office documents and templates. Because Office 2007, like its predecessors, can run code, it is vulnerable to attacks by malicious code, such as macro viruses. However, Microsoft has taken some steps to tighten the suite's defences: Documents saved in Office 2007's default format cannot ......

I’m to sexy for my shirt: BetaNews: "Amid threats of a lawsuit from Adobe, Microsoft acknowledged Friday that it would remove support for saving files in PDF from Office 2007, as well as dropping its own rival format XPS from the productivity suite and Windows Vista. The changes follow a breakdown of talks between the two technology giants after Microsoft announced last year it would include native PDF publishing with the release of Office 2007." This is such a backward step and show how running ......

You make me feel brand new: After keeping this one under my hat for sometime… Microsoft have announced the plans for BizTalk 2004 2006 R2. It will hit the streets mid-2007. OK so what do we get: R2 is built on BizTalk 2004 2006, no major changes just adding more services and goodies. These include: Better integration with the whole Office 2007 mega suite RFID –APIs and tighter integration to let third-party vendors tie RFID hardware and software into the platform. It also will include ......

Footballs Coming Home: Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;Or close the wall up with our English dead.In peace there's nothing so becomes a manAs modest stillness and humility:But when the blast of war blows in our ears,Then imitate the action of the tiger;Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;Let pry through the portage of the headLike the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm itAs fearfully as doth ......

So having confused the development world with all the various flavours of Visual Studio Team Services Microsoft adds another one to the collection: Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals!

Rocking all over the world: Microsoft brought up the subject about an external HD-DVD device for Xbox 360 at E3 last week. The company didn't reveal any information about the pricing of such peripheral. However, yesterday Gamesindustry.biz reported that retail sources had informed them about Microsoft planning on a HD-DVD add-on for Xbox 360 which combined with the console would be cheaper than upcoming PS3. In the UK, Sony's PlayStation 3 is estimated to hit the price spot around £400, while ......

The Never Ending Story (Pt1): With the Latest release of SQL Server Microsoft have really gone to town on BI. To understand this a little better I am going to run a series of interlinked blogs looking at this topic. Today we will start with “What is BI and what goes to make it” BI or Business Intelligence is a relatively new term but with old roots. The original concept is the same as it has always been: To make better use of the information collected by a company/business to help the ......

Developing custom applications using Microsoft’s .NET framework is a growing trend. According to Forrester, 56% of enterprises are choosing .NET, vs. 44% for J2EE, while IDC reports that 35.7% of large corporations use .NET for their most important applications, compared with 25.3% for Java.

Your unbelievable!: One of the more fun but challenging aspects of my job is that I sit on the .Net PAC (Microsoft Partner Advisory Council)and this gives me an insight into new products, the workings and politics of the product teams and a chance to represent the partner community in feeding back to MS our views and feelings. An example of this was when the .Net PAc were presented too by the Visual Studio/Team Services product team. Whilst we liked what we saw we were very concerned about the lack ......

Andy James, Chief Technology Officer, Solidsoft, examines how the creation of a federated security environment can facilitate business benefits that may not be possible without it. From an individual's perspective, federated security is simple. It allows someone to access multiple systems with a single log-on. The systems concerned may be internal to the company they work for, web sites they visit personally or the systems of customers and suppliers. Automatic Teller Systems are a good example. No ......

Whoops I did it again: Amazon have quietly dropped Google as their search engine and moved over to the new MS Live search engine. Wonder why? Also have a look at the new Amazon search site at www.A9.com. For more info read it here: http://www.washingtonpost.c... ......

Dance with the devil: A recent blog/item in the New York Times reports how upset Google are with MS for the new IE 7 search window and the fact it defaults to MSN search! http://www.nytimes.com/2006... Now call me stupid if you want too but isn’t that a little rich when no one is calling for Firefox to default its search window to MSN and not Google where it makes all its revenue ......

Move it: MSIT group has just released a whitepaper on moving from BizTalk 2004 2002 & 2004 to BizTalk 2004 2006. It goes into quite a bit more technical detail than our typical case study particularly in regards to their consolidation onto 64bit hardware. http://www.microsoft.com/te... ......

Can you feel it: What is REST? The following has been abstracted from Roger L. Costello;s article REST is a term coined by Roy Fielding in his Ph.D. dissertation [1] to describe an architecture style of networked systems. REST is an acronym standing for Representational State Transfer. Why is it called Representational State Transfer? The Web is comprised of resources. A resource is any item of interest. For example, the Boeing Aircraft Corp may define a 747 resource. Clients may access that resource ......

I will survive: 1. Hardware firewall. For small-office Wi-Fi networking, the most affordable secure firewall is the Linksys Wireless-G WRT54G router (left, about $60 USD street), which also offers four ports for wired Ethernet. If you wish to install third-party Linux firmware, get the WRT54GL ($70). To cover more than a few adjacent rooms, consider the Linksys WRT54GX ($160), which doubles the usual "g" range. Be sure to enable WPA or WPA2, either of which provide strong Wi-Fi security. The WRT54G ......

Play it again Sam: Solidsoft’s latest Finance sector e-bulletin: Feature Articles The compliance/customer paradox Financial services companies are constantly striving to differentiate themselves through customer service improvements. It’s leading to a bias towards new channels and methods of communication. But companies should ensure that they don’t neglect existing channels, according to Marcus Robbins, Financial Services Sector Manager, Solidsoft.>> more Architecture – ......

Telegram Sam: A little late by me but Solidsoft issued another edition of their quaterly public sector bulletin: Value from IT in Government at the start of the month. These are the features in this latest issues: Feature Articles A turning point for eGovernmentLiam Kelly, Public Sector Practice Manager, Solidsoft explains why he believes these are exciting times for local authorities.>> more Government Connect - Making the business caseSteve Lawrence, Take-up Manager, Government Connect, answers ......

Here there and everywhere: Paul Flessner of Microsoft has announced a new product -- SQL Server Everywhere Edition. It aims to provide “a lightweight, compact, but rich subset of the capabilities found in other SQL Server editions.” The new package will be able to synchronize with other SQL Server editions. It will also use the same programming model that other editions have. The first community technology preview or CTP of SQL Server Everywhere Edition is planned for this summer, with ......

Walk this way: Microsoft late last week did something longtime industry watchers thought they'd never see: The company announced it has set up a Web site specifically aimed at improving communications with Linux and the rest of the open source world. Dubbed Port 25 (http://port25.technet.com) -- a reference to the Internet port that typically carries e-mail communications traffic -- Microsoft's site is an attempt to generate discussions between the open source community and Microsoft. It is sponsored ......

The Only Way Is Up: At a recent ADS at Microsoft UK I had an interesting debate with a customer over what should drive which! In this case should Workflow drive Business Process? In this particular case we were discussing their home-grown workflow engine and BizTalk 2004. They initial argument was that workflow should drive multiple mini orchestrations. Now while this sounds quite appealing it misses the point somewhat. In the ADS we were discussing a scenario in an isolated manner. By this I mean ......

The Monster Mash: Try out a Microsoft Virtual Lab ExpressVirtual Lab Express is the fastest and easiest way to test drive Microsoft products and the Virtual Lab environment. These are 20-minute hands-on overviews of some of your favorite Microsoft products and developer tools. Try them out online now - no need to download full trial versions or dedicate test machines. Express Labs What's new in ASP.NET 2.0 What's new in Visual Studio Team System What's new in Visual Studio What's new in BizTalk Server ......

I'm Free!: Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition for Free The full software for 32-bit and 64-bit versions is available as a free download !!! This is the full Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise edition available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. This is not a trial or limited version ! Virtual machines created today with Virtual Server will be able to migrate into our hyper visor based Windows virtualization. http://www.microsoft.com/wi... ......

Something.. As my good friend Simon Hutson of Microsoft UK has said in his blog – http://blogs.msdn.com/ukcrm... – @I've been reading up on the collective wisdom on how to succeed with your blog, and it looks like the number one rule is to make your blog title meaningful - oh dear, I've fallen at the first hurdle. So in true sheep mentality ("well what do ya know, I'm a follower too") I have decided to follow the crowd and give you accurate titles. However, ......

So Microsoft have had to delay Vista till 2007…Vista Delay. Its not completely clear as it appears only the home user will wait as business will get the’ drop’ in November 2006. A little bird has also mentioned that selected OEM’s should also get the OS as well so keep and eye on Dell and HP.

In the World of SOA, the experts tell us that there are four core tenets of service-orientation to keep in mind: Service boundaries are explicit. Services are discreet units of operation. They perform a task and that task alone. Each service should be constructed to be able to stand alone with no external dependencies on other services. This is what is meant by loose coupling. Services are autonomous. Services are not to be confused with application workflow or business process. Those might incorporate ......

Quote Threats and Countermeasures: Improve Your Web Application Security This guide gives you a solid foundation for designing, building, and configuring secure ASP.NET Web applications. Whether you have existing applications or are building new ones, this guide is for you. Minor Ad: Great DVD rental offer! ......

So Microsoft have purchased Onfolio (still sounds a litte rude to me..) and are giving it away for free!- click here. Onfolio is an add-in for the Windows Live Toolbar that helps you collect and organize online content, read RSS news feeds, and share content in emails, blogs and documents. With Onfolio, you get all of these tools built into your browser for simplicity. Whether you are planning a trip, looking for a job, investigating a major purchase, or simply looking for a better way to keep up ......

Quoting from Ant Drewery: Like its predecessor Windows Mobile 2003, WM 5.0 lacks a wide selection of trusted root certificates installed by default. If you’re using a non-maintream or self-issued certificate you’ll need to do a little extra configuration to get ActiveSync working over the air. With WM 2003 there was a tool to disable certificate checking but it’s not compatible with WM 5.0. Instead follow these instructions: In Internet Explorer go to your Outlook Web Access site and ensure your ......

To quote Microsoft: The Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name “Orcas” Community Technology Preview - Development Tools for WinFX® (CTP) provides developers with support for building WinFX applications using the final released version of Visual Studio 2005. This support includes XAML Intellisense support through schema extensions for the editor, project templates for the Windows Presentation Foundation (formerly code named “Avalon”) and the Windows Communication Foundation (formerly code named “Indigo”), ......

This is a great piece of work by one of my team mates. A must read…. The forthcoming release next year of Visual Studio Foundation Server will include two methodology templates for the next version of MSF (the Microsoft Solution Framework). These are MSF for Agile Software Development (MSF Agile) and MSF for CMMI Process Improvement (MSF4CMMI). Here is an amended version of a report he recently wrote. http://geekswithblogs.net/c... ......

Over the last few months I've taken a calm and considered view of ESB. Until now I have decided to 'keep out' of the foolish arguments that have been going on, that was until I read the 'ESB vs BizTalk 2004 Debate Gets Heated in Barcelona' by David A Chappell. Now in its self this shows how heated the various debates can get, then there is the logic behind the arguments, but finally the penny drops for me as to what really underlies the arguments and inparticular this one. Both David and the Microsoft ......

With the launch of the release versions of Visual Studio 2005, and the gap to BTS 2006 we are in that intresting no mans land where we try to use the oldish and the new. This leads to a whole bunch of opinions such as 'You can't install Viz 2005 with BTS 2004'. Well we are trying and I intend to document the problems and the fixes as we go. Problem 1: BizTalk 2004 Web services publishing tool will fail to generate web services! Fix: Change the following registry key - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE... ......

To Quote: Microsoft Certified Architect Program The Microsoft Certified Architect Program validates top industry experts in IT Architecture. These professionals have 10 or more years of experience in IT with at least 3 years of experience as a practicing architect, and possess strong technical and leadership skills and form a distinguished community. Unlike other IT certifications, this credential was built and is granted by industry architects, as candidates must pass a rigorous review board with ......

As the day started through the mists of the 'Universal' hangover I wondered what Uncle Bob Muglia had install for us... Well for starters: We got the 6th disk from 'Goods'- Longhorn CPT Sept . We got the promised RC of Viz Studio 2005 And we got the promise of a SQL Server 2005 standard edition - (if you are form the US or Canda {read small print on registration site!} - not JASJARGate again!!) So on to the keynote: The “share the pain” video - well done theboys and girls at TVP UK was ......

This is a recurring theme from a number of PDC 05 attendees. I think the answer is two fold : The first one can be found at : http://msdn.microsoft.com/w... The second is that vNext BizTalk 2004 must be a different beast offering more on top of what now is offered. The designers must be made more friendly (anyone who attended the BizTalk 2004 futres will have seen a glimpse of that), the toolset be increased ......

Microsoft® Codename Max is not like any other product. That's because it's not a product—it's your opportunity to try an exciting new user experience from Microsoft. Today Max lets you make lists of your photos and turn them into beautiful slide shows to share with your family and friends. Tomorrow...who knows?

Highlights Vista gets more of it's bits! Vista now has more 3D experience + the sidebar is back WPF & WCF now looking mature - Microoft Max is a great GUI experience - www.Microsoft.com/MAX LINQ - see here http://www.microsoft.com/pr... Office 12 looks stunning plus has real features - check out storin Power Points slide by slide on WSS then composing a new presentation from those slides - also if the 'master' is changed so is the developed presentation. ......

After a nunmber of 'Longhorn' confusing years the replacement for Windows XP has been given a name: Windows Vista! Microsoft felt the new version of Windows "deserved a name that was more representative of what it specifically brings to customers." "Today, we live in a world of 'more' -- more information, more ways to communicate, more things to do, more opportunities -- and at the same time, more responsibilities. Increasingly, we all turn to our PCs to help us with that," a Microsoft spokesperson ......

The answer came form Dave Robinson - one of the great guys at Solidsoft (WWW.Solidsoft.com) In your schema which defines your stored procedure (for insert etc) you need to set the xml body field to a distinguished field. When mapping from your source schema to your sql schema you will map the values that you want and also you have to map a ‘dummy’ entry to the body parameter (because it’s a distinguished field it must be initiliazed). After your map use a message assignment shape ......

George Tsiokos wrote to me about a service he put together and is offering for free (under the MIT Licence). You enter an RSS feed URL on his page and he'll generate a DWP file you can upload directly as a Web Part onto your SharePoint Web Part Page.

If you're interested in clustering under Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, then this forthcoming webcast on Thursday 10th February 2005 at 19:30-21:00 UK Time (11:30AM - 1:00PM PST) by an expert in Virtual Server, Robert Larson, is a must. Abstract:Looking for an easy way to build a cluster of virtual machines to avoid the cost and complexity of a physical environment? Attend this session to learn how to create a two-node cluster of virtual machines running Windows Server 2003 - a key feature of Virtual ......

My previous blog gave a teaser to the concept of Microsoft and Open Source. This had more than an air of poetic license about it as what is happening is the Governments have realized that they are having to pay for the same bespoke work over and over again when really they should pay once and then only pay a small service charge for repeats of the same. In the UK this is particularly obvious around the NHS project where multiple Hospital trusts are paying for what is basically the same integration ......

Had an interesting response from Ben Johnston to my post below around the whole installation issues of BizTalk 2004 2004 2004. His point waqs that having spent a number of days getting all the hot fixes, service packs ect. together it didn't seem much different to the process the 'Free software' build would take. So I decided to let you in on my own trial. Build a VPC of BTS 2004 with all bells and whistles, do the same for 'LGOL'. Result: BTS build - 1 day LGOL build - over 4 days and still having ......

The BizTalk 2004 Server pipeline architecture opens up a wealth of opportunities by allowing you to plug in you own components. Technically, when developing so called "custom pipeline components", only a few basic principles need to be taken into account. As such, nearly any .NET developer should be able to get away with it within a few hours. In order to even further improve this developer experience, this article aims at explaining and introducing a couple of basic principles and techniques. See ......

Is right to select a non-Micorosoft product simply because its not a 'Microsoft' product? In the UK in the public sector a product called LGOL-Net is being stalked as a BizTalk 2004 replacemnet as it can do everything BizTalk 2004 can. Furthermore its also being billed as free. Now I'm all for open source and I'm all for competion but in this case the challenge is based on two lies. Firstly LGOL does not offer half the features of BizTalk and secondly the support and TCO for the product are far from ......

OK here's the rub - IBM seem to have a clear answer to the customer question 'What do I need for SOA' on the other hand Microsoft seems destined to not provide a straight answer saying simply .Net or more likely Indigo. Neither is a packaged solution like IBM's WebSphere orientated 'On-demand' tale. So what I was wondering is can we the MS community provide a clear 'packaged answer' and a nice strap line to go with it? How about as a starter - "Service based solutions for customers" and the package: ......

Josh Ledgard, Program Manager and "Chief Community Evangelist" with Visual Studio, posts a question on his weblog: "What types of projects or specific projects should we look to open source in the future?"

New XML Tools in Visual Studio 2005 (by Ken Levy) To make sure subscribers of the VS Data team blog don't miss it, I just made a detailed entry in my blog. I copied here here so those who subscribe to this blog don't miss it. The VS Data team in the Visual Studio group sponsors the XML tools being created by the WebData team in the SQL Server group. We are seeking feedback on the features and experiences with the XML tools in beta 1 of Visual Studio 2005, please send us feedback. There is a new An ......

Welcome to the .NET Browser, brought to you by Code Architects and the 2TheMax Team. Use this browser to explore all the assemblies, namespaces, types, and members in version 1.1 and 2.0 of the Microsoft .NET Framework; quickly determine which items have been added, removed, or modified from previous version; explore the .NET class library with search criteria that more flexible than those offered by the Visual Studio .NET object browser; learn more about each item by hovering the mouse on it. Notice ......

With the release of SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft finally makes a commitment to developer-centric reporting. They've integrated the design-time environment integration with Visual Studio and enabled report delivery through Web browsers, PDFs, Excel, and XML. Learn how to make this tool work for you.

Want to increase both the utilization and responsiveness of your IT systems while dramatically reducing operational costs? Learn more about the Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI), the Microsoft product and partner strategy that reduces complexity across all phases of your IT life cycle.

Get all the latest information on building Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) in one place. This new section of the .NET Architecture Center features an updated version of Pat Helland’s Metropolis presentation that drills down on the SOA guidance that Metropolis provides. New Service-Oriented Architecture Resource ......

The Threat Modeling Tool allows users to create threat model documents for applications. It organizes relevant data points, such as entry points, assets, trust levels, data flow diagrams, threats, threat trees, and vulnerabilities into an easy-to-use tree-based view. The tool saves the document as XML, and will export to HTML and MHT using the included XSLTs, or a custom transform supplied by the user.Download Here ......

The Microsoft® server products offer a comprehensive range of solutions for building an integrated and flexible business infrastructure. From messaging and collaboration to database management, and from e-commerce to content management, Microsoft servers offer the scalability, reliability, and manageability today's agile businesses need to remain competitive.

The goal of this project, code-named “FABRIQ”, is to create a special-purpose, high-performance, service-oriented, one-way messaging infrastructure for queuing networks, agents and agile computing. It’s not a Microsoft product. It’s an architecture blue-print backed by code that is writen so that customers don’t need to – at least that’s the plan.See : FABRIQ ......

My muse for the week is simple...now BizTalk 2004 has come of age (16 not yet 21) and the major growing pains are over we now have a situation where the product is not just about EAI and B2B. We have a set of tools that facilitate the rapid deployment of Business process using .Net technologies. So what do I mean by that? Well lets start using BizTalk 2004 in application solutions. Orchestration has come of age, the plumbing issue has been cracked and we now have a stonking Rules Engine. This means ......

The Microsoft Enterprise Instrumentation framework (EIF) enables applications built on the .NET Framework to be instrumented for manageability in a production environment. This framework provides an extensible event schema and unified API which leverages existing eventing, logging and tracing mechanisms built into Windows, including WMI, the Windows Event Log, and Windows Event Tracing. This framework plays a key part in a number of the Microsoft application blocks particulary the Exception block. ......

JOURNAL - Microsoft Architect's Journal - a platform where authoritative software architects from all corners of Microsoft's architect community will discuss the connection between opportunities once out of reach and the solutions that now make them possible.

The BizTalk 2004 Server 2004 Management Pack is a set of instructions that define how to monitor and manage BizTalk 2004 Server 2004. This management pack enables you to: Identify and measure the health of the system. Monitor critical components and services. Address and correct issues with actionable responses. Understand when to escalate issues. Analyze and troubleshoot the data and information received from BizTalk 2004 Server 2004. Get it http://www.microsoft.com/do... ......